Summer Break Checklist
As the end of the school year approaches, students’ minds are on final exams, pick-up basketball games and spending time in the sun—not property management. However, the summer months can be a time that chapter houses are at risk for serious claims. Properly preparing the house for the summer break period can minimize the risk of losses.
Corporations can find multiple resources on the Theta Chi website that you can use to prepare your house for the upcoming break, whether or not the house will be occupied. By following the steps outlined in several of the checklists you may avoid the expense associated with a claim and restoring the damaged area and continue to provide a safe and healthy environment for your collegiate members.
Good luck as you prepare your chapter house for the upcoming break. If chapter officers are responsible for some of these activities, make sure that they provide appropriate follow up with the House Corporation or Property Management team. Please feel free to share it with any interested staff or volunteers.
National House Director’s Conference
Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values
www.housedirectors.org
The Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values is proud to support the House Directors that play such a vital role in the chapter house management of our undergraduate fraternity and sorority chapters across the country. Each summer they host a national conference for House Directors in a different geographical location. This conference is intended to provide an opportunity for fraternity and sorority House Directors to gain valuable skills and keep up with the issues that impact them in today’s ever changing market.
This year’s event has a House Corporation track!
Being prepared: The Benefits of a Business Personal Property Inventory
By Richard Jungman – Vice President – Client Services & Operations, HRH/Kirklin & Co., LLC
Lessons learned after a loss happens are stressful and can create financial havoc for your chapter. A lesson many have learned after a loss has occurred is the stress of documenting a business personal property claim and the financial impact of being underinsured. The commitment of a little time and attention to detail in the development of a Business Personal Property Inventory can help avoid this from happening to you and your chapter.
An inventory of the House Corporation’s Business Personal Property assists in two primary ways:
1. It is a tool to properly assess the House Corporation’s needs regarding insurance for its Business Personal Property. After you have completed an inventory, compare it to the current limit purchased under the House Corporation’s Commercial Property Insurance Policy. Read more…
The Art of Protecting Your Fine Arts
Protecting your fine arts includes making sure that they are adequately covered by insurance. Fine Arts include paintings, sculptures, folk art, multimedia art, antiques, oriental rugs, and small collectibles such as figurines etc. Because the value of fine arts is based both on authenticity and condition, good documentation is essential. A problem common to fine arts is valuation.
In most insurance policies a separate policy or a separate limit for fine arts must be declared in order to provide more than minimal coverage under a commercial property policy.
The Fraternal Property Management Association Replacement Cost policy, under Business Personal Property, includes personal property in the facility owned or leased by the House Corporation or Chapter. This includes fine arts and composites on display or stored in the facility. It does not include personal property owned by your tenants. This coverage is written on an Agreed Amount basis, unless we receive a Replacement Cost Inventory from you.
If we receive an itemized inventory of your business personal property listing each item and a reasonable estimate of replacement cost, and you are notified it is approved, RSUI Indemnity Company will provide Guaranteed Replacement Cost on these items. Contact your Client Manager at Willis to discuss your specific needs.
A Guide to Mold and Moisture
Adapted form the United States Environmental Protection Agency
Mold and moisture can be a real problem for property owners and managers. Not only can mold spread and cause a great deal of damage to the physical structure over time, the presence of mold can result in health problems for residents of an affected structure. There are steps you can take to protect both your residents and your property.
Moisture and Mold Prevention and Control Tips
- When water leaks or spills occur indoors – ACT QUICKLY. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow.
- Clean and repair roof gutters regularly.
- Make sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation, so that water does not enter or collect around the foundation.
- Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly.
- Keep indoor humidity low. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. Relative humidity can be measured with a moisture or humidity meter, a small, inexpensive ($10-$50) instrument available at many hardware stores.
- If you see condensation or moisture collecting on windows, walls or pipes ACT QUICKLY to dry the wet surface and reduce the moisture/water source. Condensation can be a sign of high humidity. Read more…
Air Conditioning Start Up – Best Practices
This convenient Air Conditioning Checklist has been designed by Hartford Steam Boiler to help maximize reliability, economy, and fuel conservation in the operation of this kind of equipment.
A great many failures of air conditioning systems take place at start-up or early in the cooling season because of inoperative controls or safety devices. Most of these accidents could have been prevented if a little more attention had been paid to readying the equipment for service. We therefore recommend that the following measures be taken to ensure a trouble-free cooling season and reduce the likelihood of equipment malfunction.
The tips offered here are intended to complement and not replace the recommendation of the equipment manufacturer.
COMPRESSORS
- Energize the crankcase heaters for at least eight hours before start-up and before taking insulation resistance readings of hermetic motor windings. Crankcase heaters should be left energized for the rest of the season so that whenever the compressor is idle, the heater will prevent refrigerant “migration” to the crankcase.
- Test the lubricating oil for color and acidity, and check crankcase oil level. Read more…
Leave the Heat On
Provided by Willis North America
Protect your facility over Thanksgiving and Winter Break
What is the damage?
- Freeze, water damage and vandalism claims are the most frequent occuring claims from November through January.
Why did this happen?
- Chapter members turned off the heat thinking they would save some money.
- The pilot light on the furnance blew out.
- No one was in charge of checking on the house over the holiday breaks.
- The chapter house was not securely locked making it an attractive target to vandals and thieves.
Fraternity Housing News
- University unveils Master Plan for Greek renovations - The Daily Athenaeum May 31, 2012University unveils Master Plan for Greek renovationsThe Daily AthenaeumKnown as the WVU Greek Master Plan, the document and corresponding video outline a number of future improvements, including several new fraternity and sorority houses, additional parking and safety upgrades. A public amphitheater, a dining area and ...
- LA fraternity and sorority house inspections underway - KSLA-TV May 26, 2012
- Celebration led to fire that razed frat house - Shreveport Times May 22, 2012
- College Frats: Should Animal House Be Tax-Exempt? - Forbes May 25, 2012
- Finding a 'social fit' during your college search process - Charlotte Observer May 29, 2012
- Purdue fraternity offers reward in car arson - Journal and Courier May 27, 2012Purdue fraternity offers reward in car arsonJournal and CourierAccording to Purdue police, a 2002 red Monte Carlo disappeared from the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house, 900 David Ross Road, sometime between 11 pm May 15 and 8:30 am May 16. The car is owned by a fraternity member. The Tippecanoe County Sheriff's ...
- Gov. signs new laws to support military families - KSLA-TV May 26, 2012
- Downtown's quirks challenge housing - Columbia Business Times May 29, 2012
- 28 pm: Tech official says no students hurt in fraternity house fire - Monroe News Star May 20, 2012
- College Couple Sweet On Each Other For Life - Hartford Courant May 28, 2012
